HOT OFF THE PRESS: Trainer Mark Casse told THOROUGHBLOG this morning that.. ” SPRING VENTURE will go to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf… Spring In The Air will more than likely run in Breeders Cup Filly Juvenile, and Dynamic Sky is going to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile dirt. Pool Play is going to probably go to either the Marathon or the Classic.”
**CHANTAL SUTHERLAND has been suspended 5 days at Woodbine by the ORC stewards after failing the Saturday morning breathalyzer at the track. Sutherland rode Friday at Woodbine and was supposed to ride her brother Hugh’s filly AWESOME FIRE in the Carotene Stakes before she was taken off her mounts. Thoroughblog interviewed the ORC stewards today.
Sunday morning – UPDATE – SULEMIA at 40 to 1 in the Arc, reels in ORFEVRE from Japan…Filly beats the boys
more Casse magic all over yesterday…Nancy O is fine after Frizette run, will go back to grass..
Spring Venture 3 for 3.
M Burns photo
POOL PLAY, SPRING VENTURE continue huge Casse weekend
Dynamic Sky 2nd in Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity
More Breeders’ Cup starters for Woodbine’s leading trainer MARK CASSE as the incredible weekend (will he celebrate a Canadian Thanksigiving? I think yes!) continues and still has 2 monore days to go!
One day after SPRING IN THE AIR overcame a tough trip and won the Grade 1 Alcibiades with a 83 Beyer, that Canadian-bred was followed by the Casse team’s SPRING VENTURE winning the Grade 3
Mazarine on Sunday and then followed that up with the big run by Canadian-bred 2yo DYNAMIC SKY who was 2nd in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futuiety, POOL PLAY’s huge win off a serious injury in the Hawthorne Gold Cup. Okay, so STEALCASE was last of 11 in the Indiana Derby but hey, not a bad go of things so far with more likely to come today and tomorrow.
DYNAMIC SKY may be headed to the Breeers’ Cup Juvenile after his Keeneland run. This son of Sky Mesa – Murani was bred by Arosa Farms in Ontario and was a $25,000 yearling purchase. He earned an 80 Beyer Figure, down from his 90 when he won the Simcoe Stakes.
Jockey Luis Contreras said after the race:
“My horse was trying to make a run and the other horse was pushing me out. I had lots of horse –this horse can run. He had a little problem down the stretch keeping straight. My horse was responding from the horse on the inside; the horse on the inside was pushing me out. I had lots of horse. I really love my horse.”
SPRING VENTURE was not as forceful as one may have thought in the Mazarine, he first try on Polytrack. The filly led a 1-2 finish to the wire for the sire SPRING AT LAST (by Canadian star Silver Deputy) but she had a less-than-ideal trip while wide and she just didn’t seem to take to the Polytrack as much. Her winning Beyer was 71.
And then there is the 7yo warrior POOL PLAY, bred by the famed WINDFIELDS FARM and a Silver Deputy horse who won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster last year but then tore a tendon. This comeback is quite something and he loves the dirt.
He was 16 to 1 yesterday at Hawthorne as he stormed to victory and a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. He is 2 for 2 on the dirt now and could be headed to the Breeders’ Cup Marathon.
Pool Play was a $625,000 purchase as a yearling by Bill Farish after being sold for just $60,000 as a weanling.
He is now a millionaire, with $1.2 million in the bank.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE ON POOL PLAY:
By Neil Milbert, Special to the Tribune
9:17 p.m. CDT, October 6, 2012
Pool Play seems to be sending a message to his trainer, Mark Casse: “Run me in big races on the dirt!”
Competing in only the second dirt race of his 32-race career the 16-1 long shot scored his second major victory on that surface Saturday when he made a mighty five-wide move in the final quarter to beat
Cease and capture the Grade II $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup, the Chicago circuit’s most prestigious dirt race.
Cease lost by a neck and 2010 Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner Eldaafer was third in a strong six-horse field made up entirely of graded stakes winners. Finishing last and losing for only the second time in
seven starts this year was 4-5 favorite Alternation, who dueled Eldaafer for the lead during the opening three-quarters of the 11/4-mile race. Nates Mineshaft, the second choice on the morning line, was a
morning scratch.
MELNYK-BREDS PROMINENT
Bridgetown still strong
The stable and breeding program of Canadian EUGENE MELNYK has been in the news all season long, from his stallions like FLOWER ALLEY (his son Neck n Neck won yesterday’s Indiana Derby) and SPEIGHTSTOWN (his son Sum of the Parts won the Phoenix at Keeneland) to his homebreds like ROXY GAP.
Yesterday, one of the owner’s top runners, BRIDGETOWN, won the Grade 3 Woodford Stakes for his first graded win since 2009 when he won the Summer Stakes – Grade 2, at Woodbine.
A son of Tabasco Cat – Ellesmere, BRIDGETOWN is 9 for 19 with $934,000 in the bank. His Beyer yesterday was 99.
Meanwhile down in Jamaica, mon, the Melnyk bred RAISE A RUCKUS (Graeme Hall) was placed first in the $786,500 (Jam) McKenzie Cup:
FROM JAMAICA OBSERVER:
RAISE A RUCKUS awarded McKenzie Cup
BY HURBUN WILLIAMS Observer writer
Determined filly Sweat Trail, ridden by champion jockey Dick Cardenas, got up in time to win the $786,500 LC McKenzie Cup Open Allowance feature by a neck at Caymanas Park yesterday.
The taste of victory was, however, shortlived. Sweat Trail, the 2-1 second favourite, was winning at this level for the first time but had her colours lowered after an objection and placed fifth.
Second past the post Raise A Ruckus was placed first while Sweat Trail was placed out of the frame for an incident approaching the home turn that involved the 22-1 chance Uncle Donny, who placed fifth,
ridden by claiming apprentice Renardo McNaughton.
Raise A Ruckus, the 8-5 favourite ridden by Winston Griffiths for trainer Philip Feanny, was winning for the first time this season from eight starts and looked the likely winner after turning for home with
stablemate Reasonable Press, ridden by Aaron Chatrie, and Jet Setter, Shane Ellis up, a step behind.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/Raise-A-Ruckus-awarded-McKenzie-Cup_12715094#ixzz28bvWSxeP
WOODBINE WRAP
more from Woodbine from Friday and Saturday:
SATURDAY: A mere $10,000 could have bought you LATEEGRA at the Keeneland yearling sale 2 years ago. Now the North Light (Ire) filly has won $205,267 thanks to her win in the Carotene Stakes yesterday at Woodbine. The Ontario bred, from Adena Springs North, is owned by Eaten Hall Farm and traine dby Mike Doyle. She had almost won the Wonder Where Stakes at 52 to 1 and was an overlay yesterday at 9 to 1. Slade Callaghan rode the bay gal.
NICK ANDREWS’ homebred filly MISS MOLLY MALONE won her maiden in race 6. The 4yo filly, trained by Greg Cox, led all the way under Emma-Jayne Wilson in her 4th race since her debut last summer. She is by Toccet out of the sturdy mare Shannon River.
Wilson came right back with a strong ride on COLIN’S NIGHTGALE to get that gal up for win for $11,500 in race 7 for Ten Easy Pieces and trainer Ian Black.
The fastest race of the day was race 9, won by GENTLEMAN JACKSON, a 5yo gelding by Alert who was a $12,500 claim by Frank Cirillo and trainer Marty Drexler last november. This gelding won a first level allowance yesterday with an 82 Beyer, his 3rd win of the season. He has won more than $110,000 this year alone.
Patrick Husbands won 4 races to continue a big weekend, proving that his best track is his home track.
FRIDAY – The Greenoaks firster IRATUS LEO dueled 3 wide and drew off to win his maiden for $25K in race 1 on Friday. Trained by John MacKenzie, the 13 t 1o shot is an Ontario bred who cost about $2,500 at acution. He is by the unraced sire Kitalpha (full bro to Kingmambo) and out of a full sister to Perfect Soul. Nicely bred colt was born in January.
Jockey EMMA-JANE WILSON has been on a tear – she won on front running SCA DOODLE in race 2 for the Bear Stables and then on MODIMO from off the pace in race 4 for Fieldsone Farms.
BUY WITH GOLD came from miles back and very wide to win race 5 for $10,000 claiming for his first win trhis year. He was starting for the 12th time for Max Berketa and Steven Chircop.
The fastest race of the day was the 8th for $25,000 claimers. The winning beyer of 82 was earned by PRIZED HUMOUR, who rallied up the rail unde rEuriso Da Silva to win for Bill Sorokolit.
Jockey LUIS CONTRERAS is also having a good run, he won 2 races including the 9th race, an Ontario sired allowance at 1 mile on turf with MEY’S ROCKET. This dark bay fellow is a Martinwoods homebred, also owned by Colleen and Pierre Beaumier and he is by Weather Warning, a former Ontario sire.
